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United States Patent |
5,771,575
|
Onizuka
,   et al.
|
June 30, 1998
|
Automobile instrument panel harness-connecting construction
Abstract
An instrument panel harness is arranged between an instrument panel and a
body, and can be easily connected to other wire harnesses, thereby
reducing the time and labor required for the operation. A junction box,
connected to an instrument panel harness is divided into a first junction
box, having a large-current circuit, and a second junction box having a
small-current circuit, and a pair of collective-fitting connector
portions, fitted together, are provided on the first and second junction
boxes, respectively. The first junction box is attached to an instrument
panel, and is connected to the instrument panel harness. The second
junction box is attached to a body panel and a plurality of harness
connector portions, fitted respectively on wire harnesses, are provided on
the second junction box.
Inventors:
|
Onizuka; Takahiro (Nagoya, JP);
Hattori; Yasuhiro (Nagoya, JP)
|
Assignee:
|
Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd. (Nagoya, JP);
Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. (Yokkaichi, JP);
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Osaka, JP)
|
Appl. No.:
|
753339 |
Filed:
|
November 22, 1996 |
Current U.S. Class: |
29/868; 29/755; 174/72A; 439/34 |
Intern'l Class: |
H01R 043/00 |
Field of Search: |
29/868,755
439/34
174/72 A
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4355853 | Oct., 1982 | Kourimsky.
| |
4906195 | Mar., 1990 | Kubota et al.
| |
4910641 | Mar., 1990 | Yanase.
| |
4929182 | May., 1990 | Hyogo et al.
| |
5324203 | Jun., 1994 | Sano et al.
| |
5353190 | Oct., 1994 | Nakayama et al.
| |
5663866 | Sep., 1997 | Ichikawa et al.
| |
Foreign Patent Documents |
1-142345 | Sep., 1989 | JP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Arbes; Carl J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oliff & Berridge, PLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An automobile instrument panel harness-connecting construction for an
automobile having an instrument panel attached to a body panel,
comprising:
a junction box divided into a first junction box, having a large-current
circuit, and a second junction box having a small-current circuit; and
a collective-fitting connector portion provided on each of said first and
second junction boxes, the collective-fitting connector portion on the
first junction box fitting together with the collective-fitting connector
portion on the second junction box;
wherein said first junction box is attached to the instrument panel, and is
connected to an instrument panel harness; and
wherein said second junction box is attached to the body panel, and a
plurality of harness connector portions are provided on said second
junction box for attaching a corresponding plurality of wire harnesses,
other than said instrument panel wire harness, to the second junction box.
2. An automobile instrument panel harness-connecting construction according
to claim 1, in which said large-current circuit of said first junction box
comprises a shared power circuit, an earth circuit, and a large-current
power circuit connected to these circuits in a branched manner;
wherein said small-current circuit of said second junction box comprises a
plurality of signal circuits, connected respectively to said corresponding
plurality of wire harnesses, and a small-current power circuit; and
wherein relays and fuses are mounted on said first junction box.
3. An automobile instrument panel harness-connecting construction according
to claim 1, in which at least one of said first junction box and said
second junction box is movably mounted on said instrument panel and the
body panel, respectively, through resilient support members.
4. The automobile instrument panel harness-connecting construction of claim
1, wherein the corresponding plurality of wire harness includes a front
body wire harness, a floor wire harness, a roof wire harness and a door
wire harness.
5. A method for assembling an automobile instrument panel
harnessing-connecting construction, comprising the steps of
connecting a first junction box to an instrument panel of the automobile,
the first junction box being connected to an instrument panel wire harness
and having a large-connect circuit;
connecting a second junction box to a body panel of the automobile, the
second junction box including a small current circuit and a plurality of
harness connector portions;
connecting a corresponding plurality of wire harnesses, other than said
instrument panel wire harness to the plurality of harness connector
portions on the second junction box;
thereafter electrically connecting the first and second junction boxes when
the instrument panel is attached to the body panel.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of separating a
power circuit from both the instrument panel wire harness and the
corresponding plurality of wire harnesses and attaching the power circuit
to a power connector portion on the second junction box separately from
the plurality of harness connector portions.
7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of resiliently
mounting the first junction box on the instrument panel.
8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of resiliently
mounting the second junction box on the instrument panel.
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of resiliently
mounting the second junction box on the instrument panel.
10. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of electrically connecting the
first and second junction boxes includes the step of providing a
collective fitting portion on each of the first and second junction boxes;
and
fitting together the collective fitting portions by attaching the first
junction box to the second junction box.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a construction for connecting an instrument panel
harness in an automobile, and more particularly to the type of
construction in which a junction box, connected to the instrument panel
harness, is formed into a small-size design. Also, the efficiency of
connecting the instrument panel harness to other wire harnesses is
improved by the use of this junction box.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional construction, two kinds of wire harnesses, an instrument
panel harness and a cowl harness, are arranged between an instrument panel
and a cowl panel of a body in an automobile. Both the instrument panel
harness and the cowl harness include a power wire, a signal wire and an
earth wire in a mixed manner. A junction box 1 (shown in FIG. 3) to be
connected to these wire harnesses is assembled in such a manner that the
junction box 1 is connected to either the instrument panel harness W/H1 or
the cowl harness W/H2 through a connector.
In an automobile assembly line, the cowl harness W/H2 is arranged along a
cowl panel 2 of the body, and is fixed by clamps while the instrument
panel harness W/H1 is arranged along an instrument panel 3, and is fixed
by clamps. In this condition, the instrument panel 3 is attached to the
cowl panel 2. Then, connectors 4 of a front harness W/H3, a floor harness
W/H4, a roof harness W/H5 and a door harness W/H6 are fitted respectively
in connector fitting portions 1a of the junction box 1. A connector 5 of
either the instrument panel harness or the cowl harness (whichever one is
not connected to the junction box 1 above) is fitted in the connector
fitting portion 1a of the junction box 1. After all the necessary
connectors are fitted in the junction box 1, the junction box 1 is fixed
to a body panel at the cowl side.
As described above, both the instrument panel harness and the cowl harness,
arranged respectively on the instrument panel and the body panel, include
a power wire, a signal wire and an earth wire in a mixed manner. These
wire harnesses have a large size, and the junction box 1, to which these
wire harnesses are connected, also has a large size, and therefore a lack
of installation space becomes a problem. Also, the mounting of the
junction box on the body panel can not be effected easily.
When connecting many connectors to the junction box, the operator's hands
must be extended into a blind space between the cowl panel 2 on the body
and the instrument panel 3 from the lower side so as to effect this
connecting operation. Also, the operator must crouch and stoop during the
connecting operation, which imposes a large physical burden on the
operator. Further, the floor harness, the front harness, the roof harness,
the door harness and either the instrument panel harness or the cowl
harness must be connected to the junction box. Since many connectors must
be fitted in the junction box, much time is required for the
connector-connecting operation.
To deal with the above problems, and more specifically to easily connect
wire harnesses (which are to be connected respectively to an instrument
panel and a body) together, there has recently been proposed a
construction (Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 1-142345)
in which a connector of the instrument panel-side wire harness and a
connector of the body-side wire harness are fixed respectively to the
instrument panel and the body in opposed relation to each other, and
simultaneously when attaching the instrument panel to the body, the
connectors are connected together.
However, it is not easy to fit the multi-pole connectors, fixed
respectively to the instrument panel and the body, together simultaneously
when attaching the large-size instrument panel to the body. For example,
even though the precision of the fixed position of each connector is
enhanced, the fitting of the connectors can not be effected if the
direction of mounting of the instrument panel is even slightly deviated.
Further, after many connectors are connected, the junction box must be
fixed to the body, and this fixing operation must be carried out in a
blind manner, and therefore is not easy. Thus, a problem has been
encountered in that the fitting of the connectors in the conventional
junction box, as well as the fixing of the junction box to the body, can
not be effected efficiently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an
object of the invention is to provide a construction in which an
instrument panel harness, arranged between an instrument panel and a body,
can be easily connected to other wire harnesses, thereby reducing the time
and labor required for the operation.
The above object has been achieved by an automobile instrument panel
harness-connecting construction wherein a junction box, connected to an
instrument panel harness, is divided into a first junction box, having a
large-current circuit, and a second junction box having a small-current
circuit, and a pair of collective-fitting connector portions, fitted
together, are provided on the first and second junction boxes,
respectively;
wherein the first junction box is attached to an instrument panel, and is
connected to the instrument panel harness; and
wherein the second junction box is attached to a body panel, and a
plurality of harness connector portions, fitted respectively on a front
wire harness, a floor wire harness, a roof wire harness and a door wire
harness, are provided on the second junction box.
The large-current circuit of the first junction box comprises a shared
power circuit, an earth (or ground) circuit, and a large-current power
circuit connected to these circuits in a branched manner. The
small-current circuit of the second junction box comprises signal
circuits, connected respectively to the front wire harness, the floor wire
harness, the roof wire harness and the door wire harness, and a
small-current power circuit. Relays and fuses are mounted on the first
junction box. The large-size junction box, which has conventionally been
fixed to the body panel at a later stage of the mounting operation, is
divided into the first junction box and the second junction box which have
the large-current circuit and the small-current circuit, respectively.
Therefore, the internal circuit of each of the two junction boxes can be of
a simple, small construction. The first and second junction boxes are
attached respectively to the instrument panel and the body panel before
the instrument panel is attached to the body panel, and the two junction
boxes are electrically connected together when the instrument panel is
attached to the body panel. Therefore, the same function as achieved by
the conventional large-size junction box is obtained.
The instrument panel harness is connected to the other wire harnesses in
order to connect the other wire harnesses, through connectors, to the
second junction box when the collective-fitting connector portions of the
first and second junction boxes are fitted together. Thus, by connecting
the pair of junction boxes together, the instrument panel harness can be
connected to all the other wire harnesses at one time, and therefore a
reduction in the time and labor required can be achieved as compared with
the conventional connector fitting operation. Particularly, after the
instrument panel is mounted on the body panel, the fitting of the
connectors of the wire harnesses is not necessary, and also the fixing of
the junction box to the body after the fitting of the connectors is not
necessary.
The first junction box and the second junction box comprise the
large-current circuit and the small-current circuit, respectively.
Therefore, each of the instrument panel harness, connected to the first
junction box, and the other wire harnesses, connected to the second
junction box, does not include the power circuit, the signal circuit and
the earth circuit in a mixed manner, resulting in a simple construction.
In addition, when the instrument panel harness comprises a bundle of wires
that does not include the wire of the power circuit, two large-size wire
harnesses (that is, an instrument panel harness and an cowl harness),
which have conventionally been separate from each other, can be combined
into one wire harness, and therefore it is necessary to install only one
large-size wire harness in a narrow space between the instrument panel and
the body panel, so that the efficiency of the operation can be enhanced.
Preferably, the first junction box and/or the second junction box are
movably mounted on the instrument panel and body, respectively, through
resilient support members.
More specifically, the first junction box to be attached to the instrument
panel is movably supported within an outer frame, fixed to the instrument
panel, through rubber members or springs whereas the second junction box
is fixed to the body panel.
When one of the junction boxes is thus movable, any dimensional error can
be absorbed when fitting the two junction boxes together through the
connectors, so that this fitting operation can be effected easily.
Particularly when the connectors are of the multi-pole type, the two
cannot be easily fitted together if the two are fixed. However, if one or
both of the two are movable so as to absorb a dimensional error, the two
can be fitted together smoothly.
As is clear from the above description, in the automobile instrument panel
harness-connecting construction of the present invention, a large-size
junction box, which has conventionally been fixed to a body panel at a
later stage of the mounting operation, is divided into a first junction
box and a second junction box, and therefore the internal circuit of each
of the two junction boxes can be of a simple, small construction. The
first junction box and the second junction box have the large-current
circuit and the small-current circuit, respectively. Therefore each of the
instrument panel harness, connected to the first junction box, and the
other wire harnesses connected to the second junction box does not include
the power circuit, the signal circuit and the earth circuit in a mixed
manner, and each wire harness can be of a simple construction. In
addition, when the instrument panel harness comprises a bundle of wires
that does not include the wire of the power circuit, two large-size wire
harnesses (that is, an instrument panel harness and an cowl harness),
which have conventionally been separate from each other, are combined into
one wire harness, and therefore it is necessary to install only one
large-size wire harness in a narrow space between the instrument panel and
the body panel, so that the efficiency of the operation can be enhanced.
The two junction boxes are fitted together simultaneously when fixing the
instrument panel to the body panel, so that the instrument panel harness
is connected to all of the other wire harnesses at one time. Thus, the
connector fitting operation can be effected at one time, greatly reducing
the time and labor required. Namely, the connection of many connectors to
the junction box, which could not be effected easily in the conventional
construction since this must be manually carried out in a narrow space, is
not necessary, and also the fixing of the junction box to the body panel
is not necessary, and therefore the efficiency of mounting the wire
harnesses is greatly enhanced.
The first junction box and/or the second junction box are movable relative
to their associated panel so as to absorb a dimensional error. With this
construction, when the collective-fitting connector portions of the two
junction boxes, when attached respectively to the instrument panel and the
body panel, are out of registry with each other, this misregistration is
absorbed, so that the two connector portions can be positively fitted and
connected together. Particularly when the connectors are of the multi-pole
type, the two can not be easily fitted together if the two junction boxes
are fixed. However, if one or both of the two are movable so as to absorb
a dimensional error, the two can be fitted together smoothly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
showing a condition before a first junction box, attached to an instrument
panel, is fitted in a second junction box attached to a body panel;
FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view showing the first junction box and
the second junction box; and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a junction box electrically connecting
an instrument panel harness and a cowl harness in a conventional
construction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with
reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are provided a first junction box 12,
having a large-current circuit 32, and a second junction box 15 having a
small-current circuit 44, the first and second junction boxes 12 and 15
being adapted to be mounted on an instrument panel 10 and a body panel 14,
respectively. Thus, the function of a conventional function box is divided
into those of the first and second junction boxes 12 and 15.
More specifically, an internal circuit in the form of a bus bar 32 mounted
within the first junction box 12 constitutes the large-current circuit
while an internal circuit in the form of a bus bar 44 mounted within the
second junction box 15 constitutes the small-current circuit. The internal
circuits of the first and second junction boxes 12 and 15 are not limited
to the bus bar, and may be a combination of single-conductor wires and
press-connecting terminals, or the internal circuit (large-current
circuit) of the first junction box 12 may be constituted by a bus bar
while the internal circuit (small-current circuit) of the second junction
box 15 may be constituted by single-conductor wires and press-connecting
terminals.
An instrument panel harness 16 is beforehand connected to the first
junction box 12 to be connected to the instrument panel 10, and in an
automobile assembly line the first junction box 12 and the instrument
panel harness 16 are attached to the instrument panel 10. Alternatively,
the first junction box 12 and the instrument panel harness 16 may be
separate from each other, and the two may be connected together in the
assembly line simultaneously when attaching them to the instrument panel
10.
The second junction box 15 to be attached to the body panel 14 is attached
to the body panel 14 in the automobile assembly line, and other wire
harnesses, that is, a front harness 20, a floor harness 21, a roof harness
22 and a door harness 23, are connected to the second junction box 15.
As described above, the first junction box 12, having the associated wire
harness connected thereto, is attached to the instrument panel 10, and
also the second junction box 15, having the associated wire harnesses
connected thereto, is attached to the body panel 14. When the instrument
panel 10 is attached to the body panel 14, the first junction box 12 is
simultaneously fitted in the second junction box 15, thereby electrically
connecting the first and second junction boxes together.
The instrument panel harness 16 to be connected to the first junction box
12 having the large-current circuit includes a cowl harness without a
power circuit 18 connected to a power source 17 such as a battery. Namely,
two large-size wire harnesses (that is, an instrument panel harness and a
cowl harness) which have been separate from each other in the conventional
construction, are combined together into the instrument panel harness 16
(which is to be attached to the instrument panel 10) including all the
wires except the wire 18 connected to the power source 17.
The wire harness to be connected to the second junction box 15 having the
small-current circuit includes the power circuit 18 connecting the power
source 17 to the second junction box 15. The front harness 20, the floor
harness 21, the roof harness 22 and the door harness 23 are connected to
the second junction box 15 through respective connectors.
The first junction box 12 comprises an upper case 30 and a lower case 31,
and the bus bar 32, constituting the above large-current circuit, is
mounted within a space formed by these cases 30 and 31. The bus bar 32
comprises a shared power circuit, an earth circuit, and a large-current
power circuit connected to these circuits in a branched manner.
The first junction box 12 includes relays and fuses connected to the bus
bar (large-current circuit) 32. In this embodiment, the first junction box
12 is mounted on an outer frame 26 (adapted to be fixed to the instrument
panel 10) through resilient support members 27, so that the first junction
box 12 is movable so as to absorb a dimensional error when fitting the
first junction box 12 in the second junction box 15.
A collective-fitting connector portion 33 for fitting connection to the
second junction box 15 is mounted on an upper surface of the upper case
30, and a fuse mounting portion 60 for mounting the above fuses thereon is
also mounted on the upper surface of the upper case 30. Male terminals 34,
connected to the bus bar 32, are projected into the interior of the
connector portion 33. Mounting portions 35 are provided respectively at
four corners of an outer peripheral surface of the upper casing 30, and
the resilient support members 27 are mounted respectively at the mounting
portions 35. The instrument panel harness 16 is connected to the bottom
surface of the lower case 31.
The outer frame 26 of a square shape surrounds the case of the first
junction box, and is spaced a predetermined distance from the outer
peripheral surface of this case. Mounting portions 39 are formed
respectively at the inner sides of the four corners of the outer frame 26
respectively facing the mounting portions 35, and the resilient support
members 27 are mounted respectively at the mounting portions 39. Brackets
40 are formed respectively on predetermined portions of the outer
peripheral surface of the outer frame 26, and the outer frame 26 is
attached to the instrument panel 10 by the brackets 40.
The resilient support member 27 comprises a rubber member or a spring, and
one end thereof is retained on the mounting portion 35 of the first
junction box 12 whereas the other end thereof is retained on the mounting
portion 39 of the outer frame 26, and the first junction box 12 is held
within the outer frame 26 in such a manner that the first junction box 12
is movable within the outer frame 26.
Like the first junction box 12, the second junction box 15 to be fixed to
the body panel 14 comprises an upper case 42 and a lower case 43, and the
bus bar 44, constituting the small-current circuit, is mounted within a
space formed by these cases 42 and 43. The bus bar 44 comprises signal
circuits, connected respectively to the front harness 20, the floor
harness 21, the roof harness 22 and the door harness 23, and a
small-current power circuit.
A collective-fitting connector portion 45 for fitting connection to the
connector portion 33 of the first junction box 12 is formed on an upper
surface of the upper case 42 of the second junction box 15. Female
terminals 47, connected to the bus bar 44, are projected into the interior
of the connector portion 45, and are respectively fitted on and
electrically connected to the male terminals 34 in the connector portion
33. Brackets 46 are formed respectively on predetermined portions of the
outer peripheral surface of the upper case 42, and the second junction box
15 is attached to the body panel 14 by the brackets 46.
A plurality of harness connector portions for fitting respectively on the
plurality of wire harnesses are formed on the bottom surface of the lower
case 43. In this embodiment, five harness connector portions 48A to 48E
are provided, and a connector 50 of the power circuit 18 is fitted in the
harness connector portion 48A, and connectors 51, 52, 53 and 54, secured
respectively to ends of the front harness 20, the floor harness 21, the
roof harness 22 and the door harness 23, are fitted respectively in the
harness connector portions 48B to 48E.
Next, the process of connecting the instrument panel harness 16 to the wire
harnesses, arranged on the body panel 14, using the first and second
junction boxes 12 and 15 will be described.
First, before the instrument panel 10 is attached to the body panel 14, the
instrument panel harness 16 is arranged in position on the instrument
panel 10, and the brackets 40, formed on the outer frame 26 of the first
junction box 12, are secured to the instrument panel 10, thereby fixing
the first junction box 12.
On the other hand, the second junction box 15 is attached to the body panel
14, and the connectors 50 to 54 of the power circuit 18 and the wire
harnesses 20 to 23 are fitted in and connected to the harness connector
portions 48A to 48E of the second junction box 15, respectively. The power
circuit 18 and the wire harnesses 20 to 23 are arranged in position on the
body panel 14.
The fitting of the connectors 50 to 54, the attachment of the first
function box 12 to the instrument panel 10, and the attachment of the
second junction box 15 to the body panel 14 can be effected in a wide
space available before the instrument panel 10 is attached to the body
panel 14, and therefore these operations can be carried out efficiently.
Then, the instrument panel 10 is attached to the body panel 14. At this
time, the collective-fitting connector portions 33 and 45 of the first and
second junction boxes 12 and 15 are first brought into contact with each
other. At this time, even if the two connector portions 33 and 45 are out
of registry with each other, the resilient support members expand and
contract to allow the first junction box 12 to move, thereby eliminating
this misregistration. Thus, the first junction box is movable, and
therefore the fitting position is finely adjusted, thereby absorbing an
error, so that the collective-fitting connector portions 33 and 45 can be
easily fitted together.
In this condition, when the instrument panel 10 is pressed toward the body
panel 14, the connector portions 33 and 45 are fitted together to be
electrically connected together, and the instrument panel 10 is attached
to the body panel 14. In this condition, the instrument panel 10 is
fixedly secured to the body panel 14 by bolts or the like.
Thus, by fitting and connecting the pair of junction boxes 12 and 15
together, the instrument panel harness 16 can be connected to the wire
harnesses 18 and 20 to 23 at one time, and the time and labor required are
much reduced as compared with the conventional connector fitting
operation. Namely, after the instrument panel 10 is mounted on the body
panel 14, the fitting of the connectors of the wire harnesses is not
necessary, and also the fixing of the junction box to the body after the
fitting of the connectors is not necessary, and therefore the efficiency
of the mounting operation can be greatly enhanced.
Since the first and second junction boxes have the large-current circuit
and the small-current circuit, respectively, each of the instrument panel
harness 16, connected to the junction box 12, and the body panel-side wire
harnesses, connected to the junction box 15, does not include the power
circuit, the signal circuit and the earth circuit in a mixed manner.
Therefore the wire harnesses can be of a simple construction. In addition,
when the instrument panel harness 16 comprises a bundle of wires that does
not include the wire of the power circuit 18, it is necessary to install
only one large-size wire harness in a narrow space between the instrument
panel 10 and the body panel 14, so that the efficiency of the operation
can be enhanced.
Where the collective-fitting connector portions 33 and 45 are a multi-pole
connector, the two connector portions 33 and 45 can not be easily fitted
together if the two junction boxes 12 and 15 are fixed. In this
embodiment, however, the first junction box 12 is movable relative to the
instrument panel 10 to such a degree as to absorb a dimensional error, and
therefore this fitting operation can be effected smoothly.
The construction of connecting the instrument panel of an automobile
according to the present invention is not limited to the above
construction, and the junction box does not always need to be mounted on
the panel so as to move relative thereto, and may be fixed thereto.
Alternatively, both of the first and second junction boxes may be movable.
Where the collective-fitting connector portions 33 and 45 are of the
multi-pole type, and the two connector portions 33 and 45 can not be
easily fitted together merely by pressing the instrument panel 10 and body
panel 14, there may be used an arrangement in which through holes, which
can face each other, formed respectively through the first and second
junction boxes 12 and 15, bolts are passed, and nuts are threaded on these
bolts, thereby fitting the two connector portions 33 and 45 together. In
this case, preferably, these bolts serve also as fasteners for fastening
the instrument panel 10 and the body panel 14 together.
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